I hope they get the same kind of psychological care that Jaycee Duggard got. When Jaycee and her daughters were freed, they were kept from public scrutiny and enveloped in a cocoon of love and healing. I'm afraid these Ohio women...not all being white...might not get that kind of care. They need privacy and help right now, not invasion. I hope the press leaves them alone. We don't need to know every gruesome detail of what they went through...not right away anyway. Hopefully law enforcement will not release everything.

What do people want the 911 operator to do? She sounded calm and unemotional, which is what they are trained to do. She was having to speak over a lot of background noise to a hysterical person, you have to remain calm if you ever want to get an address and a description of the person they need to look for.

Have you guys heard 911 calls before? This is how the operators always sound.

It's more that the 911 operator didn't want to stay on the phone. It's important that they be on the phone until the police arrive. That way they know help is there or can help if CPR or something else is needed PLUS it is comforting to have someone there to talk to instead of feeling all alone.

Seems like Amanda had to teach the dispatcher how to do the job...getting the name of the perpetrator was an afterthought to the dispatcher.

The transcript

5:51:59 p.m.

Dispatcher: Cleveland 9-1-1
Amanda Berry: Hello police. Help me. I'm Amanda Berry.
Dispatcher: You need police, fire or ambulance?
Berry: I need police
Dispatcher: OK. And what's going on there?
Berry: I've been kidnapped. And I've been missing for 10 years. And I'm here. I'm free now.
Dispatcher: OK and what's your address?
Berry: 2207 Seymour Avenue
Dispatcher: 2207 Seymour? It looks like you're calling me from 2210.
Berry: Huh
Dispatcher: It looks like you're calling me from 2210.
Berry: I can't hear you
Dispatcher: It looks like you're calling me from 2210 Seymour.
Berry: Yeah. I'm with somebody. I'm using their phone.
Dispatcher: OK. Stay there with those people. Talk to the police when they get there.
Berry: OK. Uh ... Uh.
Dispatcher: OK. Talk to the police when they get there.
Berry: OK. (pause) Hello
Dispatcher: Yeah. Talk to the police when they get there.
Berry: OK. Are they on their way right now? I need them now.
Dispatcher: We're going to send them as soon as we get a car open.
Berry: No. I need them now, before he gets back.
Dispatcher: All right. We're sending them, OK?
Berry: OK. I mean like ...
Dispatcher: Who's the guy you're trying. ... Who's the guy who went out?
Berry: Uh. His name is Ariel Castro.
Dispatcher: How old is he?
Berry: He's like 52.
Dispatcher: All right ...
Berry: I'm Amanda Berry. I've been on the news for the last 10 years.
Dispatcher: OK. OK. I got that dear. I already ...
Berry: (inaudible)
Dispatcher: Yeah. I've got that. And what was his name again?
Berry: Ariel Castro.
Dispatcher: And is he white, black or Hispanic?
Berry: Hispanic.
Dispatcher: What's he wearing?
Berry: I don't know, because he's not here right now. That's how I got away ...
Dispatcher: When he left, what was he wearing?
Berry: (inaudible)
Dispatcher: OK. The police are on the way. Talk to them when they get there.
Berry: OK. I need ... OK.
Dispatcher: OK. I told you they were on their way. Talk to them when they get there, OK?
Berry. All right. OK.
Dispatcher: Thank you.
Berry: Bye

It's more that the 911 operator didn't want to stay on the phone. It's important that they be on the phone until the police arrive. That way they know help is there or can help if CPR or something else is needed PLUS it is comforting to have someone there to talk to instead of feeling all alone.

Originally Posted by Lotsawaves

But are they supposed to stay on the phone and be comforting in a situation where no one is in imminent danger? This is a large city, if four other people are trying to call for an ambulance, is the operator's time best spent comforting someone? This wasn't a small child or person who needed first aid assistance.

I guess to me 911 operators always sound kind of detached and business-like in phone calls. I thought that was the idea.

"We're going to send them as soon as we get a car open"- If this wasn't an emergency i could get this. but i was just help hostage for 10 years i dont want to hear this. so i have to stay here until a cop decides to come. and the dude could come back? what should i do then?

"It looks like you're calling me from 2210 Seymour."- i have been missinf for 10 years, are you siriously going to argue with me about this? just send help!

"Talk to the police when they get there"- to me this says, "yeah i know you been held captive for 10 years but i really dotn have time, so hen ever a cop decides to come you tell them your sorry. i'm too busy right now."

To me, it sounded like the dispatcher simply didn't believe that she was a kidnapping victim...just seemed to completely dismiss that part of the call. I think a lot of Americans don't believe kidnapping happens here.

Really? I find just the opposite. Americans are paranoid about kidnapping FAR out of proportion to actual incidents (and I include myself in that, I'm the weirdo who won't leave my kid in the car and I watch her walk two doors down to the neighbor's house and watch her walk home again).

My mom watches ALL those crazy shows with 911 calls and the operators always sound so detached and almost disinterested. I assumed it was part of the training.

In fairness, I will say that when our neighborhood hasd rash of robberies amnd I saw someone in the yard one night, 911 did keep me on the phone until an officer arrived, and another did so as well when I had to get the media out of here after the murders. But I'm in the sticks; Cleveland is far busier than my little town.

There are certain ways they prioritize the issues ppl call about and if yours is a low priority issue, they tell you to sit tight and then they hang up.

Standard. At least here.

Originally Posted by spiderlashes5000

OK. But this wasn't a low priority issue was it?

If a dispatcher takes 10 years of kidnapping as low priority, I can see why these three women were lost for so long.

Originally Posted by Curlyminx

Right, once I was stranded (and I was pretty young) since my car broke down and didn't know what to do so I called 911. They said they'd send someone and hung up. No one ever came. I know that's low priority but this..?? She was still in danger and scared he might come any second to harm her. How is this nothing but high priority?

There are certain ways they prioritize the issues ppl call about and if yours is a low priority issue, they tell you to sit tight and then they hang up.

Standard. At least here.

Originally Posted by spiderlashes5000

OK. But this wasn't a low priority issue was it?

If a dispatcher takes 10 years of kidnapping as low priority, I can see why these three women were lost for so long.

Originally Posted by Curlyminx

I don't work there. I'm just telling you how it is. And yes, I'm sure on the dispatcher's list of priorities, someone saying they had been abducted but are now free is low priority. Not to minimize anyone's suffering, but I don't think anyone would be running out of Dunkin Donuts to respond to it.

My exhusband was being threatened w/ a gun. But it was a landlord/tenant issue and that is deemed low priority so he had to wait 25 mins for anyone to respond. Tho it was a threatened homicide. They have their lists.

Spidey, i have to disagree with you. This has been a BIG deal in Cleveland.

Also, the dispatchers here are very fragments by neighborhood (they are looking to close at least half the offices). Chances are he knew about this case and should have treated it like high priority . Its not like this happens everyday. The fact that it is national news shows that this is a big deal. Its not your average cal